Set on the main street of Ranelagh village, Josephine and Gerry Leonard have made quality the cornerstone of their delightful smart-casual steak and seafood restaurant, An Bhialann.
Spread over two floors, the comfortable and welcoming ground floor room has a large picture window looking out to the street, while customers at upstairs tables can watch the chefs at work in an open kitchen.
Josephine oversees everything front-of-house, and the warmth of this family-run business is immediately obvious. Children are made especially welcome, with versions of 'grown up' dishes made especially for younger diners each day in addition to the regular children's menu, and very fairly priced.
Head chef Gerry Leonard sources local supplies of Irish meat, fish and vegetables on a daily basis, and his menus reflect this philosophy in a range of creative dishes, many of which change every day, depending on the availability of fresh produce.
Menus are wide ranging - and vary considerably depending on the time and day of the week, as the opening hours are long - but Gerry spent time in some of the West of Ireland's best kitchens, including Rock Glen Country House Hotel (which was famed for its good food) and with Tim O'Sullivan at Renvyle House Hotel, so it is not surprising to find that seafood is closest to his heart.
The dinner menu offers no less than six fish starters, including modern classics like pan seared scallops with black pudding, while mains include the very popular surf & turf, served with prawns and crab claws.
Poached whole lobster will be hard for seafood enthusiasts to resist (it's served with wilted spinach, sautéed courgettes and a choice of lemon hollandaise or warm garlic butter), but there are also plenty of other fish and seafood choices too (including, surprisingly perhaps for a restaurant taking pride in local produce, tiger prawns).
Other starters include variations on popular dishes - the crispy confit of pork belly, for example, comes with a pear purée, tossed leaves, and a red wine jus, and vegetarians may enjoy an interesting salad of beetroot and tofu, with caramelised walnuts, pear shavings, rocket leaves and balsamic dressing.
Of the main course meats, striploin steak and fillet feature strongly, while an appealing vegetarian choice might be a filo parcel of green beans, spinach, goats’ cheese and pine nuts, with mixed salad and tomato & chili jam.
A nice touch is that, for every two guests, there’s one free side – the selection includes a good mashed potato, pork belly croquettes, vegetables, salad or handcut chips. A short wine list is mainly European, with a nod to New World.
Saturday brunch brings the usual morning staples including the Full Irish, but a lighter option might be a three egg folded omelette with a choice of bacon, smoked salmon, spinach, tomato or mushroom filling, served with toast.
From a good lunch selection, popular choices include a steak sandwich with hand-cut chips, dressed salad and pepper sauce, or breaded goujons of cod with tartar sauce which comes with hand cut chips and mixed salad. There is also a short evening snack menu, offering tapas-style small dishes.
Most dishes are gluten-free, including the sauces, and anyone with special dietary needs will be looked after - as indeed will everyone, as service is friendly and efficient under Josephine's direction.
Ranelagh is known for the number and variety of its restaurants, but this friendly family-run business quickly became popular with local customers and seems to have found a special niche.
